Cosmetic surgery risks are laid bare

Many clinics made exaggerated claims and failed to explain the risks of treatments such as Botox and chemical peeling, a study for Which? magazine found.

Others did not follow proper safety procedures and did not carry out full checks on surgeons, the report added. Which? sent four reporters to secretly tape consultations at 16 clinics.

These were studied by independent experts, who judged only five of the 16 advice sessions to be good - and half of them poor. One doctor at a London centre, who is awaiting a professional misconduct hearing following complaints from patients, said: 'Almost anything you want, I can do it and that's a guarantee. It's fact, not fiction.'